The Nassau Guardian
PM: BTC announcement could come Tuesday
Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday said the government could make a “significant” announcement regarding the future of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) next Tuesday, following a face-to-face meeting with executives from Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC).
In an interview with The Nassau Guardian, Christie said he will miss a portion of the weekly Cabinet meeting to meet with the newly appointed CWC CEO Philip Bentley and another executive.
Christie said he plans to settle all of the government’s arrangements with the company during that meeting before he makes the announcement.
But he said both sides have already arrived at a final position, which was expressed to Cabinet last week.
When asked whether the government has successfully regained the two percent of BTC’s shares it takes to become the majority shareholder, Christie said, “It is not as straightforward as that.”
“I think I would want to be able to explain and have with me the negotiation committee so that we can explain the entire agreement that we have arrived at,” he said.
“And it is even more significant than just BTC shares.”
Christie previously planned to make an announcement regarding BTC around the end of 2013.
The announcement was delayed following the mass shooting in Fox Hill on December 27 where four people were killed and another seven injured.
Opposition Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis again expressed doubts last month about the Christie administration’s ability to take back BTC.
Minnis called on the government to abandon those efforts.
Christie said yesterday that he looks forward to proving people who shared those sentiments wrong.
“Firstly, [they said] that I could not do it and secondly, that I was wasting my time,” he said.
“All of that now will be answered and we will be able to show the Bahamian people exactly what it is we arrived at.”
However, Christie added that he would only make an announcement on Tuesday if CWC executives are prepared for that.
In a controversial move, the Ingraham administration sold 51 percent of BTC to CWC in April 2011.
Ongoing BTC share take back talks were stalled in late October when then CEO Tony Rice decided to step down from his post.
While in opposition, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) pledged to regain majority control of the company if elected to office.
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